Jinsha Settlement

Jinsha, which sits below the foot of Yuntai Mountain on a bay at the southwestern tip of Nangan, is the island’s closest village to mainland China. It was originally named for the fine golden sand (jinsha) that covered its beach; the writing of the name has changed, but its pronunciation remains the same. The settlement is divided into four parts: Aozhong, Dongbianshan, Xibianshan, and Xidi. People from Lianjiang, Changle, Langqi Island, and other mainland locations began migrating to Jinsha in the late Qing Dynasty, and it still has more people who trace their ancestry to Lianjiang than any other Matsu village. In early years Jinsha’s people lived by fishing along with fermenting wine or operating medicine shops, opium dens, or other establishments. It was the island’s second-largest village and had its own private school. During the war against Japan, a Japanese squad was stationed at Xibianshan to control entry to the Min River. The fishermen moved out because of cross-straits tensions and the destruction of nearby fishing grounds, but Jinsha today still preserves its eastern Fujian-style buildings. The cluster of old houses along the stone stairway at Xibianshan and the vitalization of idle spaces have made Jinsha one of Matsu’s foremost tourist attractions.